


The Secret of Jericho

by Sethrine



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Gen, Light Angst, M/M, Sweet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-03
Updated: 2018-07-03
Packaged: 2019-06-01 17:18:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,400
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15148046
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sethrine/pseuds/Sethrine
Summary: “It's time! It's time!”“Any minute, you'll see!"After the victory of their infiltration into the Stratford Tower to relay their peaceful message across all of Detroit, it was a welcoming sight to see everyone coming together to bear witness to one of Jericho's most peculiar secrets. It was a mystery amongst the people, one that no one had tried to figure out.Markus, however, was ever curious.





	The Secret of Jericho

**Author's Note:**

> Can I say how much I love Markus as a character? Because oh my gosh, his arch in the game is just so cool!

Whispers started up throughout the large group of androids, their chatter excited and happy. They were all gathering to the center of their makeshift stronghold, looking up between mangled scraps of metal and rusted walkways, yearning to be closer, as if doing so would allow them to hear even better the melody that would soon come. 

_“It's time! It's time!”_

_“Any minute, you'll see!”_

The whispers persisted, dragging in both the newly deviated as well as those that had been part of Jericho for months until every one of them was waiting…waiting…. 

Markus watched from his post above his people, small smile in place. After the victory of their infiltration into the Stratford Tower to relay their peaceful message across all of Detroit, it was a welcoming sight to see everyone coming together to bear witness to one of Jericho's most peculiar secrets. 

He had found it odd, his first evening in Jericho, to watch even those with barely functioning bio-components look up in absolute wonder for several long moments until- 

Markus' train of thought was interrupted by the first few hesitant notes of song floating through the air, echoing gently against rusted metal and chipping paint. The voice behind the phenomenon was always hesitant at first, it seemed, testing their vocals as if unsure this time would be just as marvelous as the times before. It only ever lasted a minute, and then the singing would become stronger, louder, a soothing balm that relieved the lost, searching souls of Jericho. 

He had asked around, after the first night, if it had been one of Jericho's people who had whisked away to the upper level to create the lovely sounds. Simon had been quick to tell him that no one knew who it was, whether human or android, only that the songs occurred at roughly the same time every evening, right before the setting of the sun. It was a mystery amongst Jericho, one that no one had tried to figure out. The secret of Jericho was what brought the group closer together, what gave them hope in even their darkest hours. 

Markus, however, was ever curious. 

\-- 

Making a habit out of coming to the out of commission ships hadn’t been on your to-do list in the slightest. 

One night, several months back, you just wanted to get away from it all. The city of Detroit was suffocating you in a way that clawed at your heart and muddled your mind. People had become distant, and cruelty felt even stronger, and it had become too much to handle. Your legs pulled you far from it all, and you eventually found your way to the abandoned docks lined with out-of-commission freight ships. 

_Jericho_ had been the ship to jump out at you, and before you realized what you were really doing, you had found your way within it. 

It seemed so long ago, your need to escape, and yet it remained fresh in your mind each and every day. It was the one place you could just be yourself alone in your thoughts, able to express yourself without judgement or fear of retaliation. _Jericho_ was a sanctuary, a safe haven, and it brought you nothing but relief when coming up to the weathered ship. 

You’d been coming often enough that you knew several ways to get inside, knew to come with a full phone battery and an extra blanket you carried within a backpack. It took a bit of effort, some careful climbing and traversing, but the upper levels were well worth the acoustics. Your voice traveled wonderfully against the rusted walls, creating an echo and reverberation that you couldn’t find anywhere else. 

It may have been silly, wasting so much effort just to have an hour to yourself, but it always had a way of soothing your soul. Singing out your laments and sorrows with haunting tunes brought you peace in a way you couldn’t rightfully explain. After the day you’d gone through, it felt justified to have this one moment to yourself. 

Reaching the top level, you carefully made your way further into the ship, mindful of any weak areas you had noted from yesterday's trip. The flashlight on your phone paved the way for you as you scanned the walls for any markings you had made. There was always a perfect cross section that allowed your voice to travel down the hallways in such a way that it almost gave you goosebumps. Marking those sections with colored chalk had been a good option, and the small arrows at each corner helped you find your way. 

The spot was marked with your initials, and you grinned at coming to the cross section. You made yourself comfortable by removing your backpack and pulling out the blanket within it, unfolding it to lay out along the cold, dirty floor. The light from your phone provided enough illumination to ease any discomforts of the dark as you sat and steadied your breath from the excursion. 

Deep, easy breaths. At ease. No one here, no judgement, no reprimands. 

Words weren’t necessary, at least, not at first. Your voice needed a moment to warm up as you let loose strings of tones that carried easily along the walls. You quickly gained confidence, keeping with the humming tones and letting them escape in a solid melody that had no rhyme or reason. It felt good to let go. 

A final lilt in your voice minutes later had you listening to its final echo carry away, breathing deeply as the last vibration of sound tapered into silence. Words found you, then, flowing easily with long, drawn-out syllables. Expression in the form of music. 

_‘Caged, but forever wandering,_

_So lost, will I ever be free?_

_Hold on, just a little bit longer,_

_In the end, what will be, will be…’_

The words carried you on, slow and steady as your voice pitched up and down, carried the notes over smooth transitions and elongated holds. Relief flooded your system with every line, your heart feeling lighter the longer you sang. It remedied your doubts and worries, if for a little while, and that was all you could ask for in a world that felt suppressing, strangling. 

Three other songs left you as the minutes ticked by. You had resorted to standing for a while, wrapping your blanket around your shoulders as the cold began to sink further into your jacket. The sun was surely almost set, meaning any heat from the day was already gone. The walk home would be even colder, if the wind had picked up. 

It was with that thought in mind that you came to a stop, words fading beautifully with your last song syllable. Another deep breath in, and you realized how much you were shaking, the adrenaline from your climb into the ship and the walk there having withered away some time ago. Maybe it would be best to bring a heating pack during the rest of the winter months. 

“You have a beautiful voice.” 

Startled, you turned abruptly to find a man standing across the way, his hands facing up as soon as he had your attention. 

“I'm sorry,” he spoke gently, “I didn’t mean to startle you.” 

“H-How did you get in?” you asked in a rush of breath, taking a step back as the man before you stepped forward. He watched movement and immediately stilled, his eyes, mismatched and so light in color, finding your gaze through the brightness of your phone's flashlight. 

“Wait,” you murmured, getting a better look at the man before you. He seemed vaguely familiar, as if you had just recently seen him from somewhere. It was hard to tell. 

“Who are you?” you asked, more curious now that your brain had made some sort of connection. 

“My name is Markus,” he answered, “and I promise you, I mean no harm. I heard your voice, and I came to investigate.” 

“Markus,” you repeated, eyes widening a fraction as his name and the sound of his calm voice connected with a face…a face that definitely hadn’t been human, from the looks of the broadcast earlier that afternoon. Many had been scared over what had happened at Stratford Tower, and despite no casualties, many more were calling the broadcast an act of terrorism, despite the peaceful demands presented for the rights of androids. 

It was confusing, a bit harrowing, but the backlash from the public was what ultimately had you needing your moment of peace. You hadn’t expected company, especially from the one who had ultimately riled the whole of Detroit through unbelievable means. 

Markus noticed your hesitance, and yet you had not run, nor had you attempted to beg or cry as if he would make an attempt at your life. That was a good sign, one he carefully attempted to roll with. 

“What is your name?” 

You blinked several times in quick succession, watching as Marcus slowly lowered his hands to his side. With a short huff of breath, you gave him your name, finding a smile forming on his face. 

“It's nice to meet the best kept secret of Jericho in person.” 

“Secret?” you questioned, confused and a little put off by the way he had worded that particular sentence. He made it sound like you were being kept away by some group, or something. 

“You don’t know, then? Jericho is a safe haven for androids who have deviated from their programming, who are free to live their life as they want.” 

“Well, I…I do, now,” you said with a quick nod, giving a nervous chuckle and a shaky sigh. Finding out your sanctuary was also that for rogue androids wasn’t something you had expected. It made sense, you supposed, for them to hide away as far from humans as possible, given how badly people had been reacting to the media recently. There were also those deviant murders that had been brought up again and again, and yet… 

And yet Markus hadn’t tried to lunge for you as other people believed a deviant would. He'd actively stopped his slow advance toward you when you seemed uncomfortable, and he hadn’t so much as called you out for being human. Of course, your meeting was startling, and you were still cautious, but Markus didn’t feel like the kind of person to attack first, ask questions later. 

A sudden thought came to you, and you had a moment of panic at your realization. 

“Do I…need to leave? I mean, I was going to leave, just now, but I don’t have to come back. I didn’t mean to trespass on this place, I swear! I had no idea there were people here, and I…oh, geez, I’ve been coming here for _months_ -” 

“I think my people would be greatly disheartened if you didn’t return,” Markus interjected, taking slow steps closer to you. You took note of his proximity, only tensing a moment as he neared, but it was enough that he paused in his careful stride. He held up his hands once more, proving yet again that he meant no harm toward you. 

“For as long as they’ve been here, your voice has given them hope. They look forward each day to your visit, they relish in the comfort of your melodies. They eagerly await the next time you visit to bring them comfort by way of song.” 

Hearing Markus talk about his people and how they took comfort in your moment of expression made your face flush in mild embarrassment. No one had said such kind things about your singing before. Mostly, people found it annoying, as you sang and hummed under your breath often to rid yourself of nervous energy. You never really sang in full volume in front of friends, and your family’s opinion always seemed biased. 

Giving a whole group of people _hope_ just through your voice alone almost seemed too good to be true. 

“Wouldn’t that change if they knew I was human?” 

“Why should it?” Markus answered with his own question, though his smile was answering enough, proof of what he was trying to achieve. 

It didn’t matter. It _shouldn't_ matter, because to have hope and find betterment in the future for all living beings was what made up humanity. For whatever reason, you had given them hope without them knowing you, and vice versa. 

“This may be asking too much,” Markus said, his voice smooth and calm, “but I was wondering if you would like to meet them?” 

“What if they don’t like me?” you voiced your concern, a rightful one. While you knew Markus' cause was meant to be peaceful, in theory, you were certain not all deviants felt exactly the same, especially those that were treated far more unkindly by those that had previously owned them. 

“Not all of my people are exactly thrilled with my tactics, I'll admit,” Markus began, “But they seem to trust my judgement and have followed me through peaceful action. Besides, I have a feeling they’ll see in you what I see.” 

“And what is that?” you queried as Markus moved even closer. He could easily reach out and touch you, if he so chose to. Instead, he slowly reached out his hand toward you, a question itself. 

“Someone who is lost, scared, and alone in a world filled with bigotry and hate. We are different only by the make of our bodies and the blood in our veins, and yet we share similar fears as if we were one being. We are different, and yet, we are not, and you are one of very few who understands.” 

Your gaze was locked with Markus’ own, green and blue staring back with such conviction and _trust_ in a person he barely knew. Except he knew far more than any one stranger would be able to pick apart, and it was easy to see that he held trust in his own decisions, trust in _you_ based on what you could only call his gut instinct. 

You took a deep breath and let it out slowly, reaching up and taking hold of Markus' hand. He smiled gently, fingers curling around yours as he carefully tugged you along. 

“Guess I won't be much of a secret thing to Jericho anymore, huh?” 

Markus' light laughter filled your ears, almost as melodious as your haunting songs.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you guys so much giving this a read! Let me know what you guys think!
> 
> As always, see ya around!


End file.
